exterior architecture | form & space
This is where a building’s character is set — its structural logic, its environmental performance, and the form it presents to the world. The way a building is placed and shaped in relation to its site is not a practical afterthought but a fundamental act of design: it determines how the building works and how it feels. We carry this work through a clear sequence of stages — concept design, schematic design, planning, detail design, construction drawings, site supervision and post-occupancy review — so the idea set at the start survives all the way to the built result.
Planning with the environment, not against it
A good building modifies the natural environment to make it habitable — tempering heat, cold, light, air and moisture — while anticipating its hazards, from fire and flood to earthquake. Much of this is decided before a single material is chosen, in the placement, orientation and form of the building on its site.
Orientation is one of architecture’s oldest and most powerful tools. The sun is predictable in its path, favouring southern exposures in the Northern Hemisphere, so turning a plan toward it or away from it captures warmth or evades it. The position of each space within the building decides how much sun it receives. Orientation also governs how a building meets the prevailing wind, rain and snow, which in most climates can be foreseen and designed for. And the immediate surroundings shape the response in turn — trees and landforms cast shade and break the wind, neighbouring buildings create shelter or funnel it, and nearby water reflects light and adds moisture. We read all of this before we draw.
Design
Concept, Schematic & Detail Design
We develop the building’s exterior form, style and material palette in response to the specifics of the site — climate, topography and planning constraints. Orientation shapes the building’s relationship to views, weather and cultural context, so that the result is both functional and at home where it stands.
Façade Design
Detailed design of the building envelope — glazing, cladding and the structural elements behind them — optimised together for appearance, energy performance and natural light.
Site Integration
Planning the building’s orientation, massing and relationship to surrounding structures and landscape, alongside access, circulation and environmental impact. Correct orientation is what delivers good daylight, effective ventilation and energy efficiency — the foundations of a comfortable, sustainable building.
Environmental Planning
Integration of passive and low-impact strategies — passive solar design, green roofs, rainwater harvesting — and the selection of durable, sustainable materials for the exterior.
Construction Documentation
Structural Engineering Coordination
Integration of the structural system into the exterior design — foundations, frames and load-bearing elements working with the architecture, not against it.
Building Envelope Specifications
Detailed documentation for walls, roofs, windows and envelope components, specified to perform against weather, insulation and durability standards.
Code Compliance
Ensuring the design meets all relevant building codes and regulations, including fire safety, accessibility and environmental standards.
Detailing
Specifications for finishes, joints, weatherproofing and thermal insulation — the small resolutions that decide whether the building performs.
Construction
Shell Construction
Oversight of structural work — foundation, framing and load-bearing systems — and the erection of external walls, roofing and envelope components.
Core Installation
Construction of the building’s key infrastructure: elevators, stairwells, mechanical shafts and utility cores for plumbing, electrical and HVAC.
Façade Installation
Application of cladding, glazing, shading devices and external finishes.
Weatherproofing & Insulation
Sealing the envelope to protect against the elements and to deliver the building’s energy performance.